I teach in a very different field (I use TBL in a data analysis
course) but have had the same issue. The first time I used TBL,
students really seemed to hate that there was not a 'right' answer,
even though I tried to be very clear with them about why there could
be multiple 'right' answers. I'm not sure if this will be helpful for
folks but the second time I taught the class, I started telling the
students that there may not always be a right answer but there IS a
right *process* that I expect them to follow (in the case with my data
class, that process is that they have to identify what assumptions
they are making and explain how the empirical results might change if
you change those assumptions) and their responses need to show that
they have followed that process. I also now indicate which of the
answer are 'more right' (I added gold stars next to the answers that
could potentially be justified) and am very explicit about the
circumstances under which a person might choose response A or response
B. So I make it clear to students what a 'good answer' looks like in
terms of the kind of justification they would need to provide (e.g.,
"If you assume X, then the answer is A but if you assume Y, then the
answer is B" - and then we have a discussion about why one might
assume X or Y) and I think that helps them get comfortable with the
fact that more than one of the choices could be 'right'.
On Sun, Sep 25, 2011 at 3:11 PM, Susan Hazel
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I’ve been particularly interested in this conversation as I have been using
> TBL in topics where there often is not a clear answer (animal welfare and
> animal ethics). I don’t have to look for an ethical dilemma- this is what
> I’m teaching! I trialled TBL last year for only 2 sessions and have expanded
> to 6/12 sessions for the semester this year. I’ve just evaluated it, and 91%
> of students (course of ~130) broadly agreed that they felt actively involved
> in the TBL. Two-thirds of them broadly agreed that it helped them with their
> learning, and I got some fantastic comments that I’ll use next year. The one
> thing that they do complain though about is not having a clear answer all of
> the time. I have tried to make it more explicit this year that there are
> shades of grey sometimes and no ‘right’ answer- does anybody teach in a
> similar area with TBL and have any other suggestions? These students are 1st
> year uni and many are only 17-18. Incidentally, a side benefit of using TBL
> in this relatively large 1st year class is that a no of students commented
> it helped them to make friends and meet other students in the course.
>
> Susan
>
>
>
> Susan Hazel BVSc BSc(Vet) PhD GradCert (Public Health) MACVSc
>
> Lecturer in Animal Behaviour, Welfare and Ethics
>
> School of Animal & Veterinary Sciences
>
> THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
>
> Roseworthy SA 5371 Australia
>
> Ph : +61 8 8303 7828
>
> Fax : +61 8 8303 7972
>
> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
>
> CRICOS Provider Number 00123M
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> IMPORTANT: This message may contain confidential or legally privileged
> information. If you think it was sent to you by mistake, please delete all
> copies and advise the sender. For the purposes of the SPAM Act 2003, this
> email is authorised by The University of Adelaide.
>
> Think green: read on the screen.
>
>
>
> From: Team-Based Learning [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
> Of Jim Sibley
> Sent: Saturday, 24 September 2011 12:45 AM
>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Using MCQ Team Application Exercises
>
>
>
> I would look for an ethical dilemma problem...since they are usually messy
> :-)
>
> I know Sandy Cook has used a problem whether doctors can accept gifts from
> pharmaceutical rep....I have a nursing one that pits different parts of the
> nursing code of ethics against each other.....do I care for the patient and
> break hospital policy or do I follow hospital policy and put the patient at
> peril....I love this problem....because context, recent events, where the
> nurse is in their career, how irritating and vocal the patient is, how
> attentive the doctors care has been are all factors to muddy the waters
>
> jim
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: "Kubitz, Karla" <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: "Kubitz, Karla" <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:53:12 +0000
> To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Using MCQ Team Application Exercises
>
> Hi all,
> I’m looking for suggestions for activities/ etc that might help my students
> ‘buy into’ the idea that there can be more than one possible correct answer
> for my MCQ team application exercises. Thanks. Karla
>
> Karla Kubitz, Ph.D., FACSM
> Program Coordinator, Exercise Science
> Department of Kinesiology
> Towson University
> 8000 York Rd
> Towson, MD 21252
> 410-704-3168 (ph)
> 410-704-3912 (fax)
>
>
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